Roundhouse equipment



April 14, 1936. I F H: c CQPPUS 2,037,501

ROUNDHOUSE EQUIPMENT Filed May 51, 1952 5 w 7.7 I/vv TOQ Patented Apr. 14, 1936 ROUNDHOUSE EQUIPMENT Frans H. C. Coppus, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Anna M. C. Wechsberg, Vera L. Wood, and Frans H. C. Coppus, all of Worcester, Mass., as trustees Application May 31, 1932, Serial No. 614,448

10 Claims. (01. 10452) My invention relates to improvements. in. a bular member 2 having a spherical upper end 221 roundhouse equipment consisting of an adjustforming a close joint with the upper jack memable telescoping smoke jack for locomotives in her and pivotally mounted on a ball joint 5 deroundhouses, which, in its preferred embodiment pending from a hub 50 connected to the upper includes means for inducing a draft through the jack member I by arms lb;' and a lower tubular. locomotive. member 3 telescopically mounted within the jack The general object of the invention is to promember 2. vide an apparatus of this character incorporat- The tubular member 3 is provided with a spider ing various novel and. improved features and 311 having dogs 3b which guide the telescoping characteristics of construction. member within the intermediate member and The specific objects and advantages of the inprevent it from sliding out of the intermediate ventlon will appear hereinafter, member by engaging in its lowest position with Reference is to be. had to. the accompanying a ring or flange 2!) at the lower end of the indrawing in which: termediate jack member. The jack member 3 Fig.- 1 is a side elevational sectional view of is inserted into jack member 2 by having the dogs one form of. the apparatus embodying a smoke 3b pass through slots 20 in the ring or flange 2b jack, means for adjusting the same, an exhauster of jack member.2, after which it is turned around and a special smoke discharge with a pair of approximately degrees (see Fig. 4). The ductsconnectingthe suction side to the discharge flange 211 also serves to guide the telescoping side of the exhauster, and showing in full lines the jack let down on top of the stack of a locomotive in vertical alignment with the jack, and in dot-dash lines the extreme longitudinal positions of. the jack in relation to the stack of a locomotive in its most forward and backward position in relation to the jack;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental sectional view on the line 2-2"of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the telescoping member of the jack andof the mechanism for adjusting the jack shown in. Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view onthe line 44 of Fig. 1.;

Fig. 5 is, an enlarged fragmental sectional view on the. line 5-.5 of Fig. 1, showing the lower part of the jack when let: down on top of the stack of. a locomotive;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the jack elevated above the stack of a locomotive;

Fig. 7 is a fragmental view similar to Fig. 1, showing an alternate construction of the exhauster, smoke discharge, and duct connecting the suction side to the discharge side of the exhauster; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

In the drawing: like characters of references indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

Pindicates one of the posts supporting the roof R of the roundhouse. S indicates the top of the stack of a locomotive upon a track within a stall of the roundhouse.

The jack consists of an upper tubularmember I having aflange Ia by which it is supportedon the. roof of the roundhouse; an intermediate tubetween same and the-jack member 2. Rollers may be substituted for the dogs 31).

The jack member 3 is supported and balanced by a counterweight 9 mounted on a continuous on the jack member 3, passing in succession over sheaves 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, and 9 and the other end fastened to lug 311 on jack member 3. It will therefore be seen that by pulling on one side of the loop above the counterweight, the jack is moved in one direction, and by pulling on. the other side of'the loop it is moved in the opposite direction; also, that by pulling down on both sides of the loop the telescoping jack member 3 is raised and by pulling up on both sides of the loop the telescoping member is lowered. I have thus provided a very simple arrangement for swinging the jack about its pivot and. for operating the telescoping section.

On the lower end of the jack member 3 is pivotally mounted a tubular member 4 having a conical intake for making a close joint with the stack of a locomotive regardless of the position of the locomotive on the track, and a spherical outlet for making a close joint with the member 3. As the member 4 must swing freely in order that it will hang down vertically regardless of the position of the jack, in spite of expansion and accumulation of soot, it is mounted by means of pivots 4a in elongated slots 31, in arms 39 of the member 3. This arrangement provides a clearance 40 (see Fig. 6) between the spherical part of member 4 and the member 3, when the member 4 isnot engaged with a locomotive stack,

member'and to reduce to'a minimum the leakage rope 9a, one end of which is fastened to a lug 3c but as soon as the telescoping member 3 and the member II are lowered on a locomotive stack, the pivots 4a. elevate within the slot 3 whereby the clearance is closed and a close joint is effected (see Fig. 5). It also provides for a slight sidewise movement of the member 4 so that one of the pivots 4a may be engaged with the lower end ofits corresponding slot 3 and the other pivot 4a with the upper end of its corresponding slot 3 which is of advantage in case the locomotive stack is slightly tilted sidewise due to a weak spring.

To the upper jack member I is fastened an exhauster 6 preferably, but not necessarily, of the type shown and described in my Patent No. 1,858,581 issued May 17, 1932. Between the exhauster 6 and the upper jack member I an insulation I9 is provided which may be of insulating material or it may be an air space separating the exhauster from the jack member by distance bushings or the like. The purpose of this insulation is to prevent any transfer of heat from the jack member I to the exhauster when the exhauster is not in operation in order not to overheat the motor of the exhauster. The exhauster has a fan 6a driven by a motor 6b which is connected through tubes 60 with the atmosphere through which air is drawn for cooling the motor when the exhauster is in operation. A damper I in the upper part of member I shuts off communication of the jack to the atmosphere through the exhauster when the exhauster is not in operation, as shown in dot-dash lines, but as soon as the exhauster is started, damper I opens, as shown in full lines. The two wings of the damper I are limited in their upward swing by a rod Ia extending through the upper part of member I. A pair of bypassed ducts 8 connect the upper member I below the damper I to the atmosphere through a tubular smoke discharge 8a, which is in alignment with the discharge of the exhauster 6 and preferably slightly separated therefrom (see Figs. 1 and 2in the latter the damper I not being shown). Thus, when the exhauster is not in operation the gases are conducted through the ducts 8 to the atmosphere without passing through the exhauster, but as soon as the exhauster is started, damper I opens and the gases are discharged through the exhauster to the atmosphere. The velocity of the gases thus discharged not only prevent air from being drawn downward through the ducts 8 into the member I, but tend to draw the gases also from the member I through the ducts 8 into the smoke outlet 8a; and hence to the atmosphere. In Fig. '7 a slightly different arrangement is shown. Instead of a pair of ducts, an annular duct 8b is provided which conducts the gases through holes 80 (see Fig. 8) from the member .I to the atmosphere through a conical outlet 8d in alignment with the discharge of the exhauster 6. The tubes 60 extend through the annular duct 8b connecting the motor to the atmosphere.

When the exhauster is in operation a suction -is created in the uptake conduit and, in order not to waste power and not to reduce the effectiveness of the exhauster, it is necessary that the joints between the several members of the conduit shall be as air tight as possible in order to minimize air leakage between the joints and yet allow free movement of the members.

Certain elements and combinations are shown, but not claimed herein, because they are claimed in my co-pending applications, Serial No. 17,774,

filed December 31, 1929 and Serial No. 587,736, filed January 20, 1932.

It will be seen that my invention embodies several important improvements, and it is to be understood that the disclosure is merely illustrative and not intended in a limiting sense, and I am aware of the fact that changes can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited in this respect, but what I do claim 1. In an apparatus of the character described, an uptake conduit adapted to lead from a locomotive smoke stack, an exhauster associated with said conduit, and a flue for stack gases connecting the suction side to the discharge side of said exhauster and deflected to pass by said exhauster.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, an uptake conduit adapted to lead from a locomotive smoke stack, an exhauster in vertical alignment with said'conduit, and a flue for stack gases connecting the suction side to the discharge side of said exhauster and open to the atmosphere on the discharge side of the exhauster.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, an uptake conduit adapted to lead from a locomotive smoke stack, an exhauster associated with said conduit but insulated therefrom to prevent the transfer of heat from said conduit to said exhauster, and a flue for stack gases connecting the suction side to the discharge side of said exhauster open to the atmosphere on the discharge side of the exhauster.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, an uptake conduit adapted to lead from a locomotive smoke stack, an exhauster associated with said conduit, and a flue for stack gases communicating with said conduit, under the influence of said exhauster and deflected to pass by said exhauster.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, an uptake conduit adapted to lead from a locomotive stack, an exhauster adapted to communicate with said conduit, a damper adapted to shut off communication between said conduit and said exhauster, and a flue for stack gases connecting the suction side to the discharge side of said exhauster and deflected to pass by said exhauster.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, an uptake conduit adapted to lead from a locomotive smoke stack, an exhauster in vertical alignment with said conduit, a damper adapted to shut off communication between said conduit and said exhauster, and a flue for stack gases connecting the suction side to the discharge side of said exhauster and deflected to pass by said exhauster.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, an uptake conduit adapted to lead from a locomotive smoke stack, an exhauster associated with said conduit but insulated therefrom to prevent the transfer of heat from said conduit to said exhauster, a damper adapted to shut off communication between said conduit and said exhauster, and a flue for stack gases connecting the suction side to the discharge side of said exhauster and deflected to pass by said exhauster.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, an uptake conduit adapted tov lead from a locomotive smoke stack, an exhauster associated with said conduit, a damper adapted to shut oif communication between said conduit and said exhauster; and a flue for stack gases communicating with said conduit, under the influence of said exhauster and deflected to pass by said ex hauster.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, an uptake conduit adapted to lead from a locomotive smoke stack, an exhauster in vertical alignment with said conduit, and a flue connecting the suction side to the discharge side of said exhauster and deflected to pass by said exhauster, through which the stack gases may escape without passing through the exhauster.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, an uptake conduit adapted to lead from a locomotive smoke stack, an exhauster associated with said conduit, a damper arranged toopen communication between said conduit and said exhauster when said exhauster is in operation and to shut off communication between said conduit and said exhauster when the operation of said exhauster is stopped, and a flue for stack gases, communicating with said conduit, through which the stack gases may escape by natural draft when the exhauster is not in operation and through which the stack gases may escape under 'the influence of the exhauster when the exhauster is in operation.

FRANS H. C. COPPUS. 

